FBI in 'unprecedented' raid on Puerto Rico

US officials unveiled the FBI's largest ever police corruption operation on Wednesday saying 133 police, prison guards and army officers have been charged in a huge anti-graft crackdown in Puerto Rico.

FBI agents escort police officers and prison guards to the Puerto Rico Federal Court Building in San JuanPhoto: REUTERS

1:06AM BST 07 Oct 2010

The suspects face charges relating to possessing and distributing cocaine, and using firearms during a drug trafficking offence, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) said in a statement.

The arrests "are the result of Operation Guard Shack, the largest police corruption investigation in the history of the FBI," the statement read.

"Close to 750 FBI agents were flown in to Puerto Rico from across the country to assist in the arrests" early on Wednesday.

A total of 129 people including 60 Puerto Rican police officers, 16 municipal police, 12 prison officials, three Puerto Rico National Guard soldiers, and two US army officers, have been arrested.